Volconvo is a debate forum for the discussion of political, religious, and news-based topics.

Athena · Nov 3, 2006, 12:29 pm

What are the benefits of having an individual ego?

What are the benefits of being egoless?

What causes pain and how can we handle the cause?

The Bacon Guy · Nov 3, 2006, 02:27 pm

Could you define ego? The term has many definitions and often gets misused.

And welcome back.

Amuse · Nov 4, 2006, 07:20 pm

Personal ego is required for being incarnate. It is, for example, like a software program in a computer. Ego is the program that feeds you information as you experience physical "being-ness". It identifies the i (physical) part of you as "here" with everything else you experience as being "out there" thus giving the illusion of seperatness. Ego is the voice you hear in your mind that says "fight or flight". It purpose is to keep you safe based on perspective, perception and experience.

To be egoless is not an option but to be less ego is. This doesn't mean a smaller ego but one that has less influence when fear is understood.
Fear is the energy that drives ego so when an individual is angry, hateful, vengeful, distrusting, pompous, arogant, dishonest or feeling pain it is because the ego has taken over. In essence it is your defense mechanisim and it makes your survival it primary objective.

With regard to your query about pain, I am going to assume you mean emotional pain such as the loss of a loved one or a breakup/ divorce. Ego defines "you" by percieving "you" in "relation to" everyone and everthing "out there". In marriage a couple is refered to as just that, a couple, Mr.& Mrs., Ms.& Ms. or Mr. & Mr.( to be pliticly correct here). You see yourself as part of a whole, you form an identity of yourself in your mind based on this relationship so when it changes your ego sees it as a threat to identity. The fear of "will I survive this?" is the voice that rings through your thoughts.

With understanding the egos process one can calm the fears that the ego percieves as a threat to its survival.

Kuldeep · Nov 6, 2006, 03:48 am

At the out set, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Amuse describing the Ego and replying the questions posed in the OP

Next, I also agree with BG Ego has many definitions. Amuse has very nearly defined the the basic definition of Ego as "Ego is the program that feeds you information as you experience physical being-ness". To my mind, still basic definition of Ego is "Feeling of self-existant individuality" Such feeling could be even meta-physical! Simplest example is feeling of self existence in a dream, which definitely is not physical. Moreover, I may add that Ego is property of mind (both physical and meta-physical).

Shortly, I tried to explain the basic difference between Ego and Egoless state of mind. Now here under, I would try to provide direct answers to the questions posed in the OP by Athena.

i) When we talk of Ego containing mind, it refers to finiteness of conscious mind and the feeling of its existence as an individual. Now this individualist state of mind has physical as well meta physical relations. With finite capacity it has set properties to have likes and dislikes, feeling of love and hate, sense of friendship and enemity, nobleness and curelity and the like. This in sum total Ego drives benefit ( if you think it so) of entertaiment of fruits of our physical actions and mental thinking. Ego makes us a part and parcel of all the actions/reactions we accept we have done. Good actions would be provide us good results and bad actions bad results...Simple logic !!

ii) Egolessness is state not possible to define because the feeling of individual existence vanishes and what remains becomes infinite since, it can not vanish to becme Zero. Still, I would try to put the state of such infinite mind in words!! As we know our universe is infinite so becomes the individual mind. It would be proper to say the two merges into one. As regards benefits of such achivement, probably the state of mind becomes above wordly pleasures and discomforts...what can be termed as ultimate bliss (a state which is beyond pleasure that can not be descibed but only felt after attainment of that state)

iii) Ego causes pain since due to Ego only, one feels he is individual, to extent feeling he is body and doing all actions, have relations, friends, enemies with reference to that body. So if one wants to get rid of such pain and pleasure he is bound to erase the false EGO! That of course is not so simple but then, we should start with less attachment to the body and its connections to reduce pain, if not have capacity and capability to erase IT (EGO) fully.

:)

Nov 3, 2006, 12:29 pm	#1 (permalink) (top)
Athena Volcanic Erupter Location: Oregon Posts: 5,304	ego verses egolessness What are the benefits of having an individual ego? What are the benefits of being egoless? What causes pain and how can we handle the cause? Dawn falls Eve. Enlightenment falls the darkness.

Nov 4, 2006, 07:20 pm	#3 (permalink) (top)
Amuse Observer Location: Michigan Posts: 243	Personal ego is required for being incarnate. It is, for example, like a software program in a computer. Ego is the program that feeds you information as you experience physical "being-ness". It identifies the i (physical) part of you as "here" with everything else you experience as being "out there" thus giving the illusion of seperatness. Ego is the voice you hear in your mind that says "fight or flight". It purpose is to keep you safe based on perspective, perception and experience. To be egoless is not an option but to be less ego is. This doesn't mean a smaller ego but one that has less influence when fear is understood. Fear is the energy that drives ego so when an individual is angry, hateful, vengeful, distrusting, pompous, arogant, dishonest or feeling pain it is because the ego has taken over. In essence it is your defense mechanisim and it makes your survival it primary objective. With regard to your query about pain, I am going to assume you mean emotional pain such as the loss of a loved one or a breakup/ divorce. Ego defines "you" by percieving "you" in "relation to" everyone and everthing "out there". In marriage a couple is refered to as just that, a couple, Mr.& Mrs., Ms.& Ms. or Mr. & Mr.( to be pliticly correct here). You see yourself as part of a whole, you form an identity of yourself in your mind based on this relationship so when it changes your ego sees it as a threat to identity. The fear of "will I survive this?" is the voice that rings through your thoughts. With understanding the egos process one can calm the fears that the ego percieves as a threat to its survival. Question Authority God created man in His Image and likeness, and man returned the compliment and created God in his image and likeness...

Nov 3, 2006, 02:27 pm	#2 (permalink) (top)
The Bacon Guy Away Location: Scotland, Central Lowlands Posts: 3,325	Could you define ego? The term has many definitions and often gets misused. And welcome back.

Nov 6, 2006, 03:48 am	#4 (permalink) (top)
Kuldeep Kuldeep Location: Bhopa, M.P, India Posts: 1,721	At the out set, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Amuse describing the Ego and replying the questions posed in the OP Next, I also agree with BG Ego has many definitions. Amuse has very nearly defined the the basic definition of Ego as "Ego is the program that feeds you information as you experience physical being-ness". To my mind, still basic definition of Ego is "Feeling of self-existant individuality" Such feeling could be even meta-physical! Simplest example is feeling of self existence in a dream, which definitely is not physical. Moreover, I may add that Ego is property of mind (both physical and meta-physical). Shortly, I tried to explain the basic difference between Ego and Egoless state of mind. Now here under, I would try to provide direct answers to the questions posed in the OP by Athena. i) When we talk of Ego containing mind, it refers to finiteness of conscious mind and the feeling of its existence as an individual. Now this individualist state of mind has physical as well meta physical relations. With finite capacity it has set properties to have likes and dislikes, feeling of love and hate, sense of friendship and enemity, nobleness and curelity and the like. This in sum total Ego drives benefit ( if you think it so) of entertaiment of fruits of our physical actions and mental thinking. Ego makes us a part and parcel of all the actions/reactions we accept we have done. Good actions would be provide us good results and bad actions bad results...Simple logic !! ii) Egolessness is state not possible to define because the feeling of individual existence vanishes and what remains becomes infinite since, it can not vanish to becme Zero. Still, I would try to put the state of such infinite mind in words!! As we know our universe is infinite so becomes the individual mind. It would be proper to say the two merges into one. As regards benefits of such achivement, probably the state of mind becomes above wordly pleasures and discomforts...what can be termed as ultimate bliss (a state which is beyond pleasure that can not be descibed but only felt after attainment of that state) iii) Ego causes pain since due to Ego only, one feels he is individual, to extent feeling he is body and doing all actions, have relations, friends, enemies with reference to that body. So if one wants to get rid of such pain and pleasure he is bound to erase the false EGO! That of course is not so simple but then, we should start with less attachment to the body and its connections to reduce pain, if not have capacity and capability to erase IT (EGO) fully. :)